Rainy Days
by Shameless-Fish
Summary: Persona 4 Drabbles
1. Chapter 1

**Rainy Days – Persona 4 Drabbles**

* * *

**- Umbrellas – Blue -**

His face is flushed and Kanji hopes that she can't see it, being the 'Detective Prince' he wouldn't be surprised but Naoto is looking ahead as the rain pours down. Pounding down on her blue umbrella as the two of them walk side by side.

**- Uncle – Reasons -**

Adachi had his reasons for moving out to Inaba of course. She was asleep in her room upstairs and as long as she considered her mother's town home then that would be how it'd stay.

He'd been the top of his police academy and had enjoyed working in the city, so you'd think that after his wife died he'd leave her hometown straight away. Dojima certainly wouldn't have minded, the Junior Detective had always hated having a superior who was younger than him. Not that they weren't friends outside of work, he got along with Nanako and was a good guy to have around while drinking.

He'd only moved to Inaba after Nanako had been born due to his wife's insistence; Chisato had been so worried that the city wouldn't be good for her. Maybe she wouldn't have died if they'd stayed? It certainly didn't matter now.

He also had his reasons when he threw two people into a television. He'd had such trouble finding someone after Chisato died; it wasn't just for his own benefit either, Nanako was still young and she'd need a mother. If he found someone they'd either cheat on him or make Nanako cry and he had _hoped _that Mayumi Yamono would be different after he developed a pointless crush on her. Instead she'd spoken to him coldly and he'd gotten so angry for the brief moment between grabbing her hair to her disappearing into the TV world.

The Konishi girl was to get back at Nametame.

Adachi had his reasons for not throwing his bitch of an older sister's son into the television as well. The first being Souji has the same abilities as him, which at first made him wonder if it ran in the family, but that idea was tossed when Nametame got involved. If Adachi threw the kid in he'd climb back out and that little Investigation Team of his would know who the killer is. Not that they could do anything with that, he's in charge of the case and gets along with his boss just fine. A couple of teenagers wouldn't change anything, hell Adachi could get them committed for their mental health, that'd certainly put a dent in his sister's pride.

The second is that Souji isn't anything like his parents and scarily reminds him of how he was when he was younger sometimes.

The most important reason though, is that Nanako would cry. The two had formed and sibling like bound and Adachi knows it'd break her heart if her 'Big Bro' was found hanging from an antenna a week or so after being missing.

**- Boyfriend -**

His name wasn't really that important to Nanako's family and he knew that. The boy visually shook when speaking to them and his face would noticeably pale by the end of it.

When he spoke with Dojima he spoke with a false confidence. His words seemed rehearsed, and he made sure to keep eye contact with the police officer during the whole conversation until Nanako dragged her father to the side to talk to him.

Her older brother was home and he never spoke a word. The cold glare cut straight through him and the boy wondered why he didn't die there on the spot.

Next to her brother were his friends, who the boy would later learn were closer than most families were.

He recognised a few of them, Hanamura the 'Junes Prince', Tatsumi the tailor, Amagi the inn keeper's daughter and Risette the idol. The other two he'd come to learn as 'Chie the police officer in training' and 'Naoto the famous Detective'.

The six of them lectured him rapidly, there was subtle threats here, cheerful advice there but all in all the message was 'Do not hurt Nanako. _Don't you dare_.'

Remembering this, he was sick the day before their second date.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rainy Days – Persona 4 Drabbles**

* * *

**- Hope -**

Nametame is hope. He turns on the Midnight Channel to see who their victim will be and like a super hero, he rushes to the scene and rescues them from danger. He couldn't say Mayumi, but so what? He's a hero. He's the saviour this town needs.

Adachi is hope. Nametame has been brought in by the IT and he's going to take the fall for him. He's going to get away with everything and then the world will become a better place. A place where everything is at his command like a god.

Souji is hope. He rises above Izanami's attacks and faces his shadow. He has no reason to fear or to give into the fog any longer now that he knows he's not alone and will never need to be again. He reaches and takes hold of the truth.

**- Despair -**

Adachi is despair. He made one mistake and now he's been thrown aside to this quiet town where crime rarely occurs and is small enough for everyone to know everyone. He's alone and has nothing to do in his spare time but to drink and watch television. He hates everyone and everything.

Souji is despair. Nanako has just died and it's all his fault for not being able to save her in time. If he'd only been just that bit faster, if only he'd never gotten involved with the murders in the first place, if only, if only. Him and the IT storm into Nametame's room.

Nametame is despair. He sits alone in his cell and faces the fact he was no hero. He was no saviour. He was nothing but a desperate, lonely man who kidnapped teenagers and nearly killed a little girl. He has no one and if he tries to tell them what he thought he was doing they'd call him crazy and lock him away for good.

**- Emptiness - **

Souji is emptiness. He is a blank slate when he arrives in Inaba. He's never had any connections and does not expect to make any when he sets foot in the small country town. He does not speak unless spoken to or interact unless pushed to do so. He feels no desire to call his parents nor any desire to push himself in class. He is truly apathetic towards the world until he helps a boy with headphones out of a trashcan.

Nametame is emptiness. He sits in his hospital room trying to comprehend the fact that the people he thought he was saving hate him and the little girl has died. He speaks incoherent gibberish when spoken to and does not use the television inside his room to escape. He stares at a wall trying to think, but finds no answers.

Adachi is emptiness. He is beaten by teenagers and sees no point in letting them kill him, so he brings a gun to his head. Then he is jerked out of control of his body and finds himself in the void of his mind as someone else takes control. When it is over he finds that he can't care or hate the fact he was defeated, but he still doesn't understand the pain the briefly seared through his chest when the words 'Adachi, let's go home' are uttered and when he finds out the Dojima's were worried about him.

**- Wounds -**

He collapsed as soon as they left the TV world. There was a rip in his clothes that was oozing with red and he could hear the panic of bystanders and his friends.

He'll have a lot of explaining to do later on when his Uncle asks exactly why he had a knife wound in the Junes Electronics Department.

**- Revolver -**

Souji had been expecting Adachi to deny or run away from the accusations of being the murderer. He'd been hoping it'd be the former as he didn't want his Uncle's closest, (only?), friend to be the culprit.

Instead the Junior Detective had kicked Dojima's crutch and grabbed the back of his jacket, putting a gun to the side of his head. His friends are warned not to follow him in and his Uncle is shouting a range of confused and angry curses while he's being pulled backwards towards the hospital room behind them.

Inside the TV world his hands are bound, his glasses taken and Souji knows that Adachi is still holding the revolver in his direction lazily while he tells him how he'll kill him last after he's done with the IT.

**- Repeat - Mistakes -**

**/ [**Souji wakes up on the train to Inaba confused. He'd just left this town hadn't he? The fog should be thick outside and Nanako is… he couldn't save Nanako in time.**]**

**[**So when he steps off the train and is greeted by his Uncle and his not dead little cousin he feels dizzy, but dismisses the last year as an odd dream.**]**

**[**Until Mayumi Yamano's death.**]**

**[**He decides to gather the team like he did the first time, but he pushes them to train as much as they can. They have to be stronger and faster than that murdering bastard.**]**

**[**As the year goes on, he analyses Nametame alone and realises that he isn't the murderer of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, the only death that man is responsible for was Nanako's.**]**

**[**He'll stop that though, there's no way he'll let her die this time.**]**

**[**He doesn't focus on his social links like Margret and Igor urge him to do, he trains and he trains and he trains.**]**

**[**But that means nothing once he's defeated Nametame's Shadow and holds an unconscious Nanako in his arms and he runs to a hospital.**]**

**[**He feels sick and openly cries when he realises that he wasted his chance to spend more time with his friends and family in favour to be strong enough to prevent this moment. Which he failed to do anyway.**]**

**[**This time he doesn't throw the cowering man into the television, instead he tells Yosuke that something isn't right and how Nametame isn't the murderer.**]**

**[**They don't find the real killer but Nanako recovers and he leaves Inaba while she's still in a coma.**]** **/**

**/ [**He wakes up on the train to Inaba.**]**

**- Uncle – Junior Detective -**

Adachi didn't know too much about his partner. The man had joined the police force not that long ago while he was in the city, but had made a stupid mistake that'd gotten him transferred to a shitty place like Inaba.

He was a bit gruff at times and came across as cynical unless he was drunk and Adachi wondered exactly what he'd done that made the man drown himself in his work or in booze.

It didn't change the fact that when his nephew's little Investigation Team showed up at the hospital without the silver haired teen to accuse the Junior Detective of being the murderer was hilarious.

**- Dream -**

When Souji dreams they're often odd occurrences he wouldn't dare tell another soul about, like the dream where Chie had been chasing him.

Though every once in a while he'd dream of a woman in white. Souji and two other men would sit at her feet while she spoke to them. They were the representatives of human desire and each 'fool' had the potential to become a god of a new world.

The man who he knew as 'Despair' would always lean slightly forward, caught on every word she spoke.

The man called 'Emptiness' would lean backwards slightly and sat with a slouch as he grinned at the ideas presented to him.

Souji couldn't care less.

**- Traitor -**

He burns the warning letter in front of Adachi and stands there quietly, not giving away any hint of emotion as he steels himself against the Junior Detective's sudden change in personality.

He's committed a monstrous act, he is a criminal, a traitor.

Regardless of this, he still grins softly to himself when Adachi leaves.

**- Fog- Tragedy -**

Souji returns to Inaba after the second murder. The victim was Yukiko Amagi and he and his friends mourn her quietly during her funeral.

It'd only been two years since he'd left Inaba to live with his parents again and the Midnight Channel was back on air. Not that he'd seen it; he didn't have to watch it to know about it yet because Yukiko was found hanging from a TV antenna with an unknown cause of death.

Chie cries the most, she denies that Yukiko could have ever given into her shadow or have been killed so easily. She hates herself for not being the one who was found dead when she was the one who should have been protecting Yukiko.

Souji needs very little encouragement from Naoto to bring the IT back together immediately.

**- Umbrellas- Pink -**

Souji doesn't walk directly underneath the umbrella with her and Rise reassures him that she doesn't care if anyone thinks they're a couple, (in fact she'd be thrilled).

Her Senpai gives her a wink and simply says 'I'm sexier when I'm soaked'.

**- Differences- Yosuke -**

When Souji agrees to hang out with Yosuke after school, it's because he doesn't know the area and he's going to get a free meal out of it.

When Shizuka agrees to hang out with Yosuke after school, it's because she doesn't know the area and she can always leave if the boy makes her feel uncomfortable.

When Souji helps Yosuke accept his shadow he finds himself becoming friends with the 'Junes Prince'. He's more than happy to have this investigation to keep them that way.

When Shizuka helps Yosuke accept his shadow, she becomes one of the guys and she's thrilled about that. She finds herself becoming friends with the 'Junes Prince' and she guiltily hopes the investigation will take most of the year so they can remain friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rainy Days – Persona 4 Drabbles**

* * *

**- Prince – **

Yukiko stared at the love letter that had been in her locker that morning. It stood out from the others due to the paper being red and the words had made her blush.

It was signed, 'Your Prince'. So out of her two suitors, who was it?

**- Embarrassment – **

Souji handed over the box of chocolates whilst finding himself getting increasingly flustered as he explained how 'even if you don't want to be my Valentine that's okay, just accept the chocolates'.

He didn't know exactly how Kanji had done it, but he'd never been more nervous and embarrassed at the same time before in his life.

**- Mystery – **

Souji knew from a previous occurrence with Naoto that she never opened love letters or accepted gifts from anonymous admirers, so he concluded that he'd have to be up front with his feelings for her.

But if that didn't work?

Maybe he should give her a mystery to figure him out instead.

**- Surprise –**

Souji had decided to stay at home that day, he'd called in sick and was enjoying the house to himself, seeing as his Uncle had mentioned how he probably wouldn't be back until tomorrow and Nanako was still in a coma.

So when the front day opened and closed he jumped and looked to see who it was, wondering if he could lie to his Uncle about being sick when he was clearly just as fine as he had been that morning.

Instead he saw Adachi.

He explained that Dojima forgot some files back here and had called him out on his break to find them.

Souji offered to help find them, while asking the Junior Detective not to mention that he was home.

Then he dropped the question without meaning too, 'Did you do it?'

"Do what?"

He didn't have anything planned out, he'd been hoping to put it off for as long as possible but there was no stopping now right? So Souji told him about the suspicions he'd had since Nametame had been apprehended.

"Oh, so you think you've got it figured out then?" The older man chuckled, "Say I was the killer, do you think anyone would believe you about it?"

Souji remembered the TV in the room with them and grew tense but before he could bluff about the Investigation Team knowing as well Adachi walked towards him, muttering about how he wanted it to be a surprise before resolving to 'get to the point about why he was here'.

Then Souji was unsure how he should react. A man, a police officer and a murderer's lips were against his. So he stood there frozen.

Until he was being pushed into the TV with a gun against his chest and there was an envelope being chucked beside his head into the TV world.

Even though he struggled the bullet still went through his heart.

**- Partner –**

Yosuke wasn't sure how it'd ended up like this. He liked _girls_ but he also liked Souji and somehow during the conversation he'd just outed himself in front of everyone.

But his Partner gave his hand a reassuring squeeze which made it seem a little less mortifying.

**- Idol –**

Rise was an idol.

Souji didn't see her that way, or maybe he didn't care. He loved the 'real her', all of her.

She was more than happy to kiss him in front of her admirers when he gave her a love confession and spend the rest of the day with him, doing everything and nothing.

**- Desires –**

Souji knew it'd been a stupid idea to train in the TV world alone. He'd gone anyways so really there was nothing he could do about it.

When he tried to shift away, three shadows growled and gripped onto him tighter, clinging to him, smothering him, trapping him.

Rise's shadow was hugging his arm while resting his head on his lap, Yukiko's shadow had his other arm hostage and was resting on his shoulder and he had to sit on Kanji's Shadow's lap. They'd grudgingly come to the conclusion to share him after much fighting.

_Did this mean his friends were looking for him? What on earth was all this about?_

Chie's shadow and Naoto's were discussing what they'd 'do' when it was their 'turn' to have him and the glint in their eyes did not reassure him in the slightest.

_They'd all faced their shadows though. What'd made them resurface? What were they rejecting?_

Yosuke's Shadow had gone off to pick a fight with an 'intruder' who'd realised that Souji was here in some twisted mess of Inaba.

_It had to be his friends right? Maybe it was Yosuke himself? Had he gone ahead and gotten lost from the group?_

If only he could get his hands free, then he could defend himself. Or at least give running a try, fighting all their shadows at once was hardly a good idea.

He tried to shift only a little this time. They all growled again.

Until he was 'saved' like a damsel in distress, he was theirs.


End file.
